


Eventually

by skyewatson



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Pepper leaves Tony, Tony's upset, he doesn't care if the others see, pre science boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:42:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1565054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyewatson/pseuds/skyewatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He knows why she has to leave, he understands and that in itself is more painful than the fact that the woman he loves is leaving him. Because it’s always easier if you don’t understand why someone leaves because at least then you can be angry.  But Tony understands completely and he can’t be angry at her for it. He’s never been able to be angry at Pepper but this time it’s different because he agrees with her decision even if it feels like she’s pulled the arc reactor right out of his chest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eventually

**Author's Note:**

> I love Pepperony and I wanted to write something happy. And then this happened.

The day Pepper leaves for the last time is a Tuesday. There isn’t a dramatic screaming match, no big fight in the Avengers Tower. Tony doesn’t even beg her to stay. He knows why she has to leave, he understands and that in itself is more painful than the fact that the woman he loves is leaving him. Because it’s always easier if you don’t understand why someone leaves because at least then you can be angry.  But Tony understands completely and he can’t be angry at her for it. He’s never been able to be angry at Pepper but this time it’s different because he agrees with her decision even if it feels like she’s pulled the arc reactor right out of his chest.

 

So there’s no theatrical fight and he doesn’t beg her to stay. He cries though and that is enough to push Pepper over the edge and she starts crying too. Usually Pepper is the utter definition of poise and self control and watching her cry is unbearable. Pepper is the last person Tony ever wants to see cry and he’s the very last thing he wants her to cry about.

 

She leaves him with a soft kiss on the cheek and he stands there for a full three minutes after she leaves with a hand on his cheek. Pepper won’t be gone forever but it feels like it. She’s only going back to California where she can run Stark Industries because Pepper’s always going to look after him even if they aren’t together because she’s still his best friend. Tony wishes she wouldn’t, that she would follow her own dreams but he also knows that he’s all she’s got just like she’s all he has and it’s been that way for the last fifteen plus years. He also knows that while he can manage without her by his side every day, Stark Industries would go under in a week without her in charge.

 

He doesn’t wipe the tears from his eyes and doesn’t give a damn that Steve is watching him with careful eyes the same way Clint and Natasha are pointedly not. He doesn’t care that Thor looks torn between asking and keeping silent, unsure of what the protocol on Earth is for this situation. Tony doesn’t care that he’s completely on display because Pepper has just left him. His best friend is on her way to fly across the country because she can’t be with him when he could die any day of the week. He doesn’t bother pretending he isn’t broken because she deserves more than that. He loves her and pretending to be okay would be an insult to the powerful, beautiful woman she is. So he doesn’t hide anything when he makes his way down to the labs and doesn’t hold back the tears when Bruce hugs him and offers to help him make something of Fury’s blow up.

 

Pepper’s gone and he’s not okay but he will be. Eventually.

 

 

 


End file.
